Oil And Gas Hiring Set To Increase Over Next Six Months

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Nearly half the U.S. focused energy hiring managers say they plan to increase hiring in the second half of the year.

Paul Caplan, president of Rigzone, describes the slower pace of recruiting over the past six months as “a pause for breath,” after more than three years of robust hiring. He says that’s led to a backlog in demand for talent as more sites come online. And, he says, job candidates increasingly recognize the market has tipped in their favor.

"The hiring managers, half of them are saying that they’re seeing candidates are asking for more money than they were six months ago. And at the same time, a quarter of those are saying than they’re seeing more candidates reject offers than they were six months ago. So, obviously the market has heated up quite a bit, and I expect that that’s going to continue, at the rate that we’re going right now."

Caplan says the biggest demand by far is for engineers — notably mechanical, design, and petroleum engineers. He says more than half of hiring managers say they expect a shift to more full-time employment this year compared to 2012.